


Just another sick fic

by Demon_Calcifer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hunk and Pidge make a brief appearance at the end, I just rolled with it, I was sick and wanted to write a sick fic, M/M, Mostly fluff and comfort, Why? I have no idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 13:52:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12255693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demon_Calcifer/pseuds/Demon_Calcifer
Summary: Lance was sick





	Just another sick fic

Lance was sick.

Not vomit uncontrollably with tears burning the corner of your eyes sick. At least, not yet, but close.

Lance felt like he was trembling, violently, but one look at the mug in his hands proved otherwise. Which was good, that meant he could hide how he felt. Hide his splitting headache, his congested face and sore throat from the drip. Hence the mug filled with space tea and space honey Lance was currently sipping from. It helped but not enough. He still felt jittery and sluggish after training. The fact that he was having a hard time breathing didn't help. At least the kitchen was quite.

Hunk and Pidge were in the hangers tinkering with the Lions. Allura and Coran had said something about scanning space routes, while Keith and Shiro stayed back on the training deck. So Lance could let himself sniffle and lay all over the counter as he liked. And he did so. Well, until all Lance wanted to do was lay down and sleep.

So leaving his mug in the dishwasher (or he thought it was, clean dishes came out of it so…) Lance shuffled his way down to his room. Luckily unhindered.

Once safe behind the door of his room Lance wandered into his private bath and grabbed the waste bin. He wasn't feeling vomity now but he couldn't be sure about later. With the bin now sitting by the head of his bed Lance snuggled down into said bed. His skin was hot but his bones were cold. He wanted Hunk to rub his back but dreaded even asking his best friend for help, he didn't want anyone to say he was overreacting. So he'd suck it up, cover himself in the quilt he managed to dig up and ride out the flashes of near unbearable heat until he fell asleep.

Sleep was fitful. What with the mouth breathing and being too hot all the time. At some point Lance had cast off every but his shirt and boxers, he didn't remember doing that but it didn't matter. Lance didn't even know how long he'd been holed up in his room. Was it dinner time? Was it past that? He couldn't tell with his lights all the way down. And speaking of the lights, the soft glow from the ceiling wasn't all that bright but it was too much, it hurt but his eye mask made Lance feel like he was suffocating. And even the silence made it hard to stay asleep. The lowest volume from his phone made his head pound just as terribly as the oppressive quiet. But he managed.  

He was about to fall back asleep when brisk rasps resounded from his door. Lance didn't answer, maybe if he was quiet whoever was there might go away. There was silence for a few heartbeats, Lance sure the plan worked, until his door swished open unceremoniously.

The bright light in the hall flooded the dim interior of Lance's last safe haven. He didn't look at the intruder, only pulling his quilt over his head, sure he could send whoever was there away.

“Lance? Are you okay? You missed dinner.” Lance curled tighter into a ball because of course the universe would curse him like this. Of course it was Keith who came to check on him.

“'M fine.” Lance croaked, throat dry as all get out. “Just tired.”

A heartbeat of silence.

“Fine people don't sleep with trash cans by their beds.”

Damn. Lance had forgotten about that.

“If you aren't feeling well then you should have told us. We would have-”

“I said I'm fine!” Lance barked, instantly regretting his choice as he devolved into a coughs. “Just leave me alone please. I won't miss training in the morning so just lay off.”

Lance got no response, he couldn't see Keith through the quilt, so he just laid there breathing grossly through his mouth. After what felt like forever the door swished closed and then nothing. Blessed silence and darkness. And once again Lance slipped into unconsciousness.

The next time Lance awoke he wasn't sure why. That was until the mattress dipped. Lance groaned and rolled over. Why couldn't he just be left alone, all he wanted to do was sleep this off in peace.

“Lance, wake up,” Keith whispered, much too close for Lance's comfort. “Lance, I brought you a pouch. You need to drink.” He didn't want to, even if he was thirsty beyond belief, he just wanted to sleep. But the Red Paladin wasn't going to take Lance's grumpy groans apparently because he changed up his tactics. “Lance, please,” Keith ran his fingers through his hair sending little relaxing tingles over Lance's skull. “I don't want you to get dehydrated.”

Maybe it was the softness in Keith's tone, maybe it was the tenderness of the hand in his hair, or maybe it was just the fact that Keith was concerned about him, Lance didn't know. But he sat up, feeling a bit dizzy in the process. He could make out Keith's outline in the dim blue light, the water pouch glowing in that almost unsettling way it had.

“Thanks.” Lance whispered as he took the pouch. Draining it in a few gulps and dumping it into the bin. “I needed that.” He smiled softly at Keith before he settled back against the pillows. Now feeling just a bit better Lance curled into his quilt and let his eyes slip closed. “You don't have to stay, I'll be fine in the morning.”

“Um, do you want me to rub your back?”

Lance's eyes snapped open only to fix Keith with what he hoped was a glare. Keith was worrying at his bottom lip.

“I um, might have asked Hunk how to take care of a sick person.” Keith explained, but Lance only narrowed his gaze further. “I didn't mention you by name or anything if that counts for anything.”

“It doesn't.” There were only so many people on the ship, it wouldn't be a large leap in logic to suspect that the one who didn't come to eat was sick.

Keith pouted. “Well do you want me to rub your back or not, because if not then I'll go.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “I would like that.”

Keith shifted a little, so he was more firmly and comfortably seated on the edge of Lance's bed. Lance watched a tentative gloved hand reach over and disappear.

Small hesitant circles traced along Lance's shoulders and spine; the familiar action instantly draining all the tension from his body. It was the familiarity was that Lance used to rationalize to himself that that was why he snuggled closer to Keith. Not anything else. Definitely not because of any budding feelings. Nope, definitely not that and just because it was a familiar action and response.

After a few minutes Keith grew more confident, venturing further down Lance's back and pressing a comforting pressure. Lance enjoyed the warmth and soon after fell into a deep and restful sleep.

You'd think after months of waking up in space, to the intense quiet of the castleship, Lance would be used to it. But no, every single time Lance opened his eyes to the sterile surroundings of his new room he couldn't stop the brutal pull of homesickness.

But Lance was used to it, expected it even, so when it came clawing at his chest he just took a deep breathe and let it out the best he could. He needed to pee and couldn't hold it any longer. So Lance shuffled into the bathroom to relieve himself. He'd only been in there for two minutes when a frantic pounding on the bathroom door cause Lance to nearly jump out of his skin.

“Lance? Lance, are you in there?” Why did Keith sound so panicked?

“Yeah,” Lance called back the best he could. “Just give me a minute.” He finished up as fast as he could, washed his hands and stepped out into the bedroom. There he found Keith shifting his weight in a way Lance could only describe as nervously.

“Are you okay? Do you feel any worse?” The panic in Keith's tone was lessoned but not gone.

“Yeah man, just had to pee.”

Lance watched the tension ease from Keith shoulders with a raised brow. Why was he tense, Lance was the sick one.

“That's good, um here.” Keith thrust a cup out in Lance's general direction. Lance stepped forward, curious, and took the cup full of light brown liquid. It was a bit watery if the way it sloshed as Lance sat on his bed told him anything. Apprehension sparked every nerve, he really didn't want to drink anymore mystery substances after the nunvil incident. He learned his lesson. So he shot Keith what he hoped was a questioning concerned look. But said Paladin was busy watching his boot toe try and make a divot in the metal floor.

Lance tried again. “So ah, what is this exactly? 'Cuz I don't want it to be what I think it is.”

“It's soup. Well, as close to soup as Hunk could get without regular stuff.”

Lance perked up a bit. “Oh so it's like stock?”

“I guess…?” Keith shrugged.

Still hesitant Lance took a sip. It tasted vaguely of chicken soup, a little off but it's heart in the right place, but it was blessedly warm. Soothing and heating all in the right ways. It was good, well closer to fine or okay, and it brought back memories. The good kind, the ones that make you smile without a hint of sadness. He took a few more long sips when he noticed Keith was still standing awkwardly in the center of his room.

Lance cleared his throat. “You can sit down man. You don't have to stand around and wait for something to happen.”

Keith nodded gently before taking the space right next to Lance on his bed. Keith had sat so close their knees brushed. But instead of heart racing the action was endearing. It still made Lance's heart skip, of course it did Keith was being gentle towards him, but it was the kind of skip that makes you want to share the heart warmth.

“Thank you, Keith.” He said as he closed his eyes and leaned his head on Keith's shoulder. Keith stiffened for a beat then relaxed, returning to rub circles into his back. Without the thick layer of the quilt Lance could feel just how warm and strong they were. Lance leaned in just a tad more. “I feel a lot better.”

Lance couldn't see Keith's face, but the tender tone of his whisper painted a pretty nice picture and he most definitely wanted Keith to keep that expression as much as possible.

“I got you, buddy.” 

  
  


-

 

“Pidge, I'm back.”

“Hunk, you're back.” Pidge rolled out from under the Green Lion's paw. “That didn't take long. What did Keith want anyway?” She absently rummaged through the tool box looking for the spiral wrench thingy.

“He just wanted to know how to take care of Lance.” Hunk passed it to her and she went right back to work.

“Is he sick or something?”

“Probably, he missed dinner.”

“Then why aren't you taking care of him.” Pidge cursed under her breath.

“'Cuz he's got Keith.”

Pidge peeked out from under her Lion again and the two shared a look.

Their two idiots. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote most of this while I was out of it so if anything is glaringly wrong don't hesitate to tell me, I'm more than happy to fix it.


End file.
